Crisis accommodation building up for sale

The Salvation Army is selling its men's crisis accommodation building in Carrington as part of a restructure of its homelessness services in Newcastle.

The Anchor, a 12-bedroom building in Cowper Street, is expected to go to auction this month.

Salvos director David Baker says it is part of a move by the organisation to provide more proactive and holistic support, and not just emergency accommodation.

He says the revamped service will include more caseworkers based at the new one-stop shop accommodation office in King Street.

"We're just changing the way that we deliver our services, and that's partly because of the way that the homelessness services reform is happening through the Australian Government policy changes," he said.

"Our service is very much client-focussed and very holistic.

"So, we have temporary accommodation, we have a smaller crisis refuge - we certainly still do have crisis support, and case managers to help those clients."

The Salvation Army says money raised from the sale of the Carrington building building will be spent on purpose-built units for men.

Mr Baker says selling The Anchor is a key part of its restructure plan.

"We need the funds to be able to purchase and build purpose-built, independent living accommodation, individual units for men," he said.

"The restructure that we've gone through means that we have now a one-stop-shop for all of our homelessness services, then we have a men's crisis centre, a women's crisis centre, and a family-based crisis centre.

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